Getting ready to move on!

It’s hard to believe that our time here in the Ozarks is almost over! These three weeks went very fast – and we have had an especially good time here. The work has been rewarding – it’s the first time we’ve both been working on the same job, and every day we’ve seen progress made in the building (whether it was our progress, well that’s another question!). The weather last week was cool and rainy, but ever since Thursday last week, it’s been sunny and warm. (Of course it’s calling for rain the day we have to pack up and move out – but, hey, that’s two days away!).We had a great weekend. Friday we went out for breakfast at a friendly local restaurant (coffee was 50 cents!), and then went to the Blanchard Springs Caverns. A very impressive sight. The “room” that the tour started in was just short of four (4) football fields long – and it had a 6 story column in the middle. The tour we took was very low impact – all ramps and concrete passageway, but they offer other more advanced tours too. While we’ve enjoyed seeing these “inside the earth” wonders, I’m not really ready to put on knee pads and hard hats and do any real spelunking. From there we went to Mountain View for their annual Folk Music Festival. All through this little town were small groups of musicians – some who had played together for years and some who had gathered that day. We saw folks playing guitars, banjos, bagpipes, bass fiddles, mandolins, dulcimers (big and small), harmonicas, spoons (wow, was that amazing) and a saw (though not all at the same time). We enjoyed treats at an old fashioned soda fountain and had dinner along the White River – Fried Catfish, what else! We drove home watching a beautiful sunset. Just about a perfect day!Saturday we hung around home and did some chores. Sunday we worshiped with our friends here at SOTO, and then enjoyed hosting a Fish Fry/Caesar Salad feast for the staff in the afternoon. Another beautiful day.Another fun event – after work on Monday we were invited to the dining hall to help the staff decide about which steaks and desserts to order for the summer – Omaha or Black Angus, and for dessert a variety of cheese cakes, carrot cake, tiramisu, and a very decadent chocolate cake. My, my, it was a tough job, but someone had to do it!Tonight’s a doggie roast – with S’mores and Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. (I think tomorrow we’re back to Walmart Pizzas!).Hopefully at our next stop I will be able to post some pictures. This is the only one I’ve been able to get uploaded – so please be patient. This is a truly lovely area, and although remote, it’s been a blessing to be here. I think we’ve made some lifelong friends!